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Raleigh Sternbridge
Bound by his duties as a Paladin in service to Alterac and an Engineer bent on applying practical measures against tough questions & adversaries, Raleigh Sternbridge is a man of devotion & dedication. Born in the Chillwind River Valley during an era of Lordaeronian reign, he is Lordaeronian by birth, although he has never served under Lordaeron's flag. Having served under the Alliance and the Steamwheedle, Stern has become a staunch defender of the reborn nation of Alterac & all of its dominions. Appearance, Personality & Faith As a male human with a life spent as a Paladin on the frontlines & his spare time spent mining the riches from the rocky faces of Azeroth or using said riches to build intricate contraptions & explosives, Raleigh stands at 6'4" with thick arms & a thicker chest. The bluntness of his life has not dissuaded him from engaging in the often meticulous tasks that are presented to one who is trained in the arts of the Engineer. When the goggles, oil, and soot are removed from his face, you'll find a pair of green eyes, a nose that's been broken more than a few times, an expression of general disinterest & apathy, and a thick, brown goatee on his chin to complement his flowing ponytail, wrapped neatly in a bundle of an Alliance patriot (but adorned in the armor of an Alteraci). Despite the dour expression, he stands tall, never slouching and never with his head held low outside of bowing his head in prayer. His goggles are often wrapped around his neck or tied to his belt if not wrapped around his head (he rarely, if ever, pulls them up around his forehead, the image of which is the common stereotype for engineers). Faith has been an important part of his life since childhood, faith in the blood of one's family and faith in the Light. He has, however, balanced this faithful side with the reason & practicality that came with his delving into the engineering arts. The failings of orders devoted to zealous faith are not lost on him either and serve as a reminder that even the Light's faithful can & do falter. He once held great admirations for the large & expansive orders of the Light, but the falters & failures of so many led to a personal questioning of the necessity of these orders. He regards the Light as one that teaches self-improvement that shall lead to bettering of one's community & in turn bettering of the world, so as the failings of orders diminished his faith in broad, all-encompassing groups dedicated to the Light it simultaneously strengthened his faith in the Light's place as a personal journey as one of self-improvement. It certainly has not meant he feels every large group of the Light is corrupted or unable to bring good to the Alliance peoples. His service to Alterac has not been without drawbacks. Despite holding strong pro-Alliance leanings, he has taken on the mantle of neutrality, something he feels uncomfortable with but sees the necessity of for Alterac's survival. It has not stopped him from criticizing groups like the Argent Crusade and the Draenei intent on creating an 'Army of Light' by uniting the Horde & Alliance together. He sees a clear difference from remaining outside of factional political matters & trying 'to make nice between a cobra and a mongoose'. His core beliefs have guided him to becoming a Tyrist, a philosophy of the Light dedicated to reverence for Tyr & rejection of the Three Virtues. Due to his position and desire to avoid scandal for his organization, he remains quiet about his membership in the movement & tends to avoid the issue should it arise, although his personal disagreements with the Church & the Three Virtues are not unknown to those close to him. Early Life & Family Raleigh was born in the Chillwind River Valley, a territory disputed between the Kingdoms of Lordaeron & Alterac over ownership. Citizens of both nations lived & thrived here for generations, although loyalties were divided. In general, the Sternbridge family were staunch Alteraci loyalists, a view which Raleigh inherited (although he never thought ill of Lordaeron & would have just as quickly joined their forces had the chance arisen). As the area was a prime spot for illegal distillation and 'moonshiners' in the early years of human expansion across Lordaeron, Raleigh's family can trace some of their historical ancestors to some of these backwoods bootleggers. The eldest of five children, Raleigh took it on himself to watch out for them, especially his sisters (his siblings affectionately called him 'Stern' for his disposition as much as they did because of the family name). When they were not engaged in chores or taking turns on the road with their father while he traveled for his mercantile efforts, Stern would watch his family like a hawk. Whether it was swimming, playing on the troll ruins in the region, or hiking in the hills, he developed a keen ear to listen on what his siblings were saying so he could stop them before they ran off (a trait he's kept into his adult life). As his mother died giving birth to his twin sisters, he did his best to be 'softer' with them than he was with his brothers, although the influences of the brothers seemed to overwhelm this attempted gentler attitude & made them just as rowdy as their brothers. The family also spent some years living in the Hinterlands following a great flood that overwhelmed their home. The generosity of the Wildhammer & the peculiar but friendly High Elves had an impact on his perception of these two allies of humanity, one that would follow & drive certain actions in the years to come. Young Adulthood Stern had just turned 16 when the plagued grain had hit Andorhal. Hoping to avoid seeing his sons be conscripted into Lordaeron's army (or rather, prevent his boys from joining it out of youthful desire to serve) Stern's father Mylas sent Stern & his two brothers south, to his brother & sister-in-law living in Elwynn Forest. As his daughters were in Hearthglen, Mylas told them he would ride to Hearthglen, get their sisters, and then meet them down in Elwynn in a few months. Unfortunately, he nor Stern's sisters were heard from again (presumably killed by Scarlet Crusaders during their occupation of the region). After the Third War had ended, Stern enlisted to be trained in Stormwind's military reserves & spent time serving throughout the lower Eastern Kingdoms, although was relieved of duty following the upheaval in Stormwind. It was during this time he became trained as a Paladin, although much was self-taught or learned from example from various other Paladins he met & tomes he read. He spent the following few years serving as a mercenary, primarily working for the Steamwheedle Cartel. When the War in Northrend began, he served primarily under the banner of the Silver Covenant before returning to Stormwind's employ during the Cataclysm & early stages of the Pandaria campaign. Near the end of the Siege of Orgrimmar, he committed himself to the cause of Alterac. Theaters of Operation (roughly chronological order) & Important personal events *Elwynn Forest, Westfall, Duskwood: Defias War **First studied Engineering *Redridge Mountains: Blackrock incursions *Duskwood: Morbent Fel's undead rebellion **First combat against the undead *Stranglethorn Vale: Kurzen's rebellion, Troll hunting, Pirate hunting **First service outside of Stormwind's command **First prototype of a shredder built **Rumored to have married during this time frame *Tanaris: Troll hunting, Pirate hunting, Bandit hunting *Winterspring: Furbolg & elemental hunting **Found Aquamaria **Acquired Whelest *Northrend: War against the Lich King/War in Northrend/Nexus War **Lost Whelest on Icecrown Glacier **Views on the Horde changed from wary distrust to bitter disgust **Learned more about Tyr **Met Zure *Cataclysm: Twilight's Hammer War/Alliance-Horde War **Lost all faith in the Argent Crusade **Found & hid a Twilight's dragon egg *Pandaria: Alliance-Horde War/Thunder King Conflict **Began service to the House of Weisserose **Joined the Dominion of Alterac War for Alterac campaign Having found himself unemployed, Stern scoured Stormwind for a week or so looking for a job listing. The Light shown on him when he came across a flier, a noble's house seeking Retainers. This house was Weisserose, an estate in Alterac not very far from his childhood home in Chillwind. His joining of the Weisserose's estate came with the revelation that Stern had held hope for: the reclamation of Alterac. The effort was finally underway. Several previous attempts had ended in disaster or with minimal results. But among the Council of the Alterac Coalition, Stern finally grasped onto the hope that the motherland would reborn. It would be several weeks before the campaign began, but that allowed Stern the necessary time to refill his depleted armory with explosives. Week 1-The March on Alterac: The call was sent and the men were assembled. Donning a uniform look under a single banner, the Retainers & soldiers of House Weisserose filed into the ranks of the Dominion of Alterac. At a manor in the mountains, Alterac's finest assembled. Among them, Stern stood quiet and indifferent as the Lords & commanders finalized their preparations. Under the command of Lord-Commander Hendrik Westfield, the soldiers of the Dominion were brought together before the March. A compelling speech was shouted. With a shout in unison, they marched off. The forces of the Vestige of the Phoenix made their way to another point, well away from their intended front. In his Gyro, Stern remained grounded along with the other pilots, moving low to the ground with the rest of the battalion. The fierce winds would prevent competent flying manuevers in any event that evening, however the artillery his Gyro was hauling would prove useful. Meeting at Strahnbrad, the Dominion forces met with House Ravenshield before forming a line just west of the town. In a slew of assault waves, the Ogres surrounding the tower of Gallow's Corner fell. Dominion forces rallied together and threw back their attacks. Stern, providing artillery fire, was able to cut down the ogre's right flank to allow Ravenshield fighters a chance to cross the road to the base of the tower. At the base of the tower, Stern dismounted so fighting could continue into the tower. Pulling off a crate of Landsharks & the Gyro's Dragon Mark II, the Dominion forces slew the final Ogre wave under the fire of cannons. The battle in the tower itself ended with swift victory against an Ogre warlock, his head place on the tower's broken ramparts by the Lord-Commander. Stolen supplies were airlifted back to Strahnbrad in the Dominion's Gyros, including cratefuls of looted Arathorian bars (likely stolen from a skirmish some time back). The day was won, but the Alterac Air Force had yet to prove their worth. The Engineering feats of the men who fought, however, were proven deadly efficient. Interim: Following the remarkably quick and successful operation, a gathering took place in the Duchy of Winterbreak, Lord-Commander Hendrek Westfield's domain. It was here that several awards were given to combatants, including Stern's Lord. Stern himself was knighted by Commander Westfield for his dedication & valor in the previous eve's battle. Although he swore to almost every oath asked by Westfield, he could not swear to the oath to forgive those who wronged him. Rather than lie & take an oath he could not realistically foresee himself holding to, he replied that he could not swear to this oath. Westfield complimented him on his honesty and unwillingness to commit to something he could not do. Week 2-Assault on Growless Cave: The following week moved quickly and soon the forces gathered once more at an estaste in the eastern mountains of Alterac. Unlike the previous week, Stern was ordered to serve under the command of his Lord, Reynalden Weisserose. Again his fellows were the House of Ravenshield but along with them were two knights of the Dark Templari. Putting is personal feelings aside for the undead & the Lord of Ravenshield's personal affiliations, he rode with the assembled force to Strahnbrad, meeting with Aerithine Moonleaf (a personal friend of Reynalden's & the leader of a group of Highborne who had pledged their service to Alterac) along the trail there. With full supplies and ammunition, the Reynaldi Strike Force marched to the Growless Cave. The battle itself began when the group came upon some ogres camped by a fire & the Templari made the first attack. Stern launched some landshark heat-seeking missiles at a seated Ogre, killing it instantly when the sharks hit the Ogre's spin, the first opening a wound & the other two flying through the wound & exploding inside, killing it instantly. The Ravenshields almost lost one of their members, the sole woman who had accompanied this force. As the Ogres began retreating into the cave, the veteran commander of the Ravenshield's force jumped to aid her & Stern jumped to provide some cover for them to get her off the field. The ogre-magi within the cave appeared and began firing blasts of magic in all directions. Stern took a direct hit, blocking an fiery blast meant for the Ravenshield commander & the fallen soldier. His tabard, chestplate, and even his shirt were burned all the way through, leading to him fighting shirtless for the remainder of the battle. The woman's lover, a tall & lean soldier in Dark Iron-crafted armor, jumped into the air & cut down the Ogre-magi. The few remaining Ogres outside the cave were slain or retreated into the cave. With the battle ended, wounds were treated & assessed. Stern applied a healing liquid to a gnomish injector to heal his relatively minor injuries. Heading to the woman, named Hope & her companion Ashton, he learned she had some broken ribs & offered some seditives to numb her pain. After injecting the seditive into her bloodstream, he gave the injector & two vials of the seditive to the Ravenshield commander before returning to his Lord's side. Although the battle was won, the Dark Templari commander, known as Lord Bloodscythe, warned that his troops were not guard dogs & that they should take the city tonight. Reynalden allowed the Dark Templari forces to slay any Ogres they find outside the city but to not enter the city, no matter what, and that all heads from the ogres should be placed on pikes outside the city's main gate. Obliging, the Templars rode off into the increasingly snowy evening. Turning to his Lord, Stern noted that the Ogres would retake the area if they held onto the cave. Pulling out a single but rather large, red-colored grenade, he waited for Reynalden to give the signal. With his Lord's command, he threw the grenade at the cave's entrance, the force from the explosion collapsing the entrance & sealing the surviving Ogres within. The Battle for Growless Cave was a relative victory. Interim: The following evening, troops and citizens arrived in Strahnbrad for preparation for next week's assault and rebuilding of the town. The increased Templari patrols in the region had proven effective after just one night. The majority of the Ogres outside the city were dead or in hiding under the vigorous eye of the Templari's sky riders. The Alterac forces in Strahnbrad were given duties to be carried out. Stern, having arrived in his XDFTD-8000 series Shredder with a showy performance, was given the task most suited to shredders: lumber gathering. Heading into the Uplands, he found some suitable trees and cut them down promptly. The Shredder (whom he affectionately calls 'Uncle Fester') cut & shaped the wood from the three trees into 58 identical length planks plus a crateful of smaller, unidentical pieces. Returning to the town, he was sent off again on sky patrol. Spotting an ogre & some gathering forces south of Strahnbrad, he continued down the five fingers of Hillsbrad before getting an urgent recall to Strahnbrad. A Syndicate attack had left the military there blindsided & outnumbered. He roared down from the sky on Uncle Fester & began fighting the Syndicate with the shredder. Although he missed a few swings, he bit the Shredder's 'IN CASE OF EMERGENCY' big red button. Engaging in its THOR (Total Hipower Overload Release) Mode, the shredder began spinning its blades and moving far quicker than before. Charging through the waves in a bloody, gorey mess, the shredder was crucial in repelling the Syndicate assault. Stern yelled during the gore show "I like my Syndicate like my cat likes her food: SHREDDED INTO MEATY BITS!", although Stern hadn't owned a cat since his Frostsaber some four years prior. The battle was won through technological superiority. General Rhalitra Haddinkov had used a repeating rifle and the shredder had distracted & held back the tide, leading to a decisive Alterac victory through modern machines & weaponry devised by Engineering minds. Week 3- The Final Siege: The march from Strahnbrad with the rallied forces of the Dominion, the House of Ravenshield, and the Vestige of the Phoenix was quiet and uneventful, allowing Stern to sing an Alterac marching song. Through the valley of pikes lining the highway to the main gates, the Dominion forces and allies held outside the Gate. The mountain's nature had turned against the Ogres in a fortuitous turn of events. The destruction of the Crushridge's supplies into the city had forced the Ogres to fight one another over the scraps that remained, allowing for the Dominion's forces to easily claim the Gate. Dividing into three separate task forces, the Dominion army charged at the key strongholds within the city. Stern was tasked with leading a small group to reclaim Alterac City's chapel, a task he dedicated himself to upholding. The force stormed the streets outside the chapel with blades & bombs, striking down the hungry & weakened Ogres. Leaving his explosives and Dragon Cannon outside, the force entered the Chapel & found a most disgusting of sights: the Chapel's altar had become a stone stovetop for an Ogre chef who was cooking dead Ogre meat for a group of ravenous Ogres. The force & the Ogres clashed, Stern being hit square in the chest multiple times & knocked back into the walls. Seeing that the Chef wasn't a Chef at all but some kind of rune-wielding necromancer who used the Ogres in the Chapel as puppet mind-slaves, Stern yelled for the group to attack the Chef. A Ravenshield soldier managed to slice off the Chef's head, ending his threat & allowing the group to cleanse the Altar and claim the Chapel. Being the first force to gather at the base of the Alterac Keep, Stern's group cleared out the area while the other armies finished their tasks & slowly gathered at the Keep. Joined in the battle was the Sovereign Remnants, but before the final battle commenced the Vestige sought to leave the fight when philosophical differences arose about dealing with the Ogres. The House of Ravenshield cited similar vows but remained on the field to heal the Alteraci forces. Vowing that there would be 'no honor for the honorless & no mercy for the merciless', Stern waited for the final call to arms & did not look back as the Phoenix forces left the battlefield. Lord Weisserose, offering the Crushridge their lives in exchange for their King's and the withdrawal from Alteraci lands, was met with the response Stern had expected; violence. A portal was thrown open and two waves of Blood Guards were sent through. The first wave saw Stern knocked back and landing hard in the snow. Almost unconscious, his adrenaline pumped him into action just as a Blood Guard nearly killed him as he laid in the snow. With that Ogre killed by a quickly launched Landshark hand-missile, he turned back to the Keep's fight and battled a few more Ogres. The arrival of the Crushridge King saw the Ravenshields finally spring into action. As the King was revealed to be a mutated magus who was trained by Cho'Gall. With a deathly color of blackish-red magic covering his body, the forces of the Dominion, Remnants, and Raveshield fought to end the monster's threat once & for all. A woman by the name of Hope Shadowbane, the same woman Stern had helped the previous week, was able to pierce the Ogre's heads with lances of Holy Magic, ending his life & ultimately ending the battle. The fall of the Crushridge King forced the surviving Crushridge out of the city & into the mountains as a storm began brewing. Rallying the army inside the Keep, some Ogre resistance was met but ultimately, the Keep was claimed. Following the battle & the speech given by Lord-Commander Hendrek Westfield addressed to the Dominion & its allies in the Royal Chambers, Stern helped with tending to the wounded. Again he found himself tending to Hope along with the help of Ashton. He had hoped to help heal Lady Aerithine Moonleaf but her grievous injuries & the technology he had hoped to use would have caused more harm than good. Following tending to the wounded, he reported to Anton Caerwyn about the condition of the injured. After the briefing, they spoke about monetary rewards for the soldiers once such funds were available. Stern imparted that he was not primarily in it for the immediate monetary gain, but had hoped that perhaps a hand in choosing a location within the city for a future Engineering Ward would be more meaningful a reward rather than a sum payment of gold or loot. Following a quick return to the medical ward, Stern waited out the storm. The unexpected arrival of his blue whelp companion, Aquamaria, to the Keep in the harsh, stormy conditions outside prompted him to remain in the Keep to keep her safe. The following morning he left the Keep to head home to Strahnbrad, making a visit to the Chapel to leave behind a small, silver fist on its Altar. The time to put down his weapons and bring out his tools had arrived. And his repaired 'Uncle Fester' would be a very, very useful tool for the coming rebuilding. Aftermath: The Reclamations Following the retaking of the city, several smaller campaigns were engaged by the Dominion's forces against an array of enemies who had taken over different parts of Alterac (to a staggering variation of 'renovation' within each domain and among each group). Stern's first assignments were more gathering & building rather than combat. His abilities as a shredder operator Post-Siege Dragon Crisis involvement Although he had sent a letter to Lord Maxen Montclair several weeks prior and and received word to meet with the First Regiment force in Ironforge, the Alteraci Campaign prevented him from meeting with the Regiment while they were stationed in Ironforge. Having fought in Winterspring and in the Nexus War, Stern fancies himself a blue dragon expert (although this is far from having intimate knowledge of the Flight's day to day experiences or spending decades researching them) & had hoped to give what knowledge he did have to the Regiment, regardless if they were already aware. He wanted to help the blue dragons for the sake of his companions, Aquamaria & Zure, in hopes that this apparent crisis did not evolve into a crusade against all blues. Ultimately it would be weeks later he could finally become involved, although it did not happen in a way he had expected. While on leave in Stormwind as he exited the Cathedral, he stopped to look over the Cathedral Square when a voice yelled 'Hi!'. Turning, he saw a young Elf woman. Behind her a Magus Senate banner. Believing he was being addressed (as the House of Weisserose had been in contact with the Magus Senate in the previous week), he responded and learned it wasn't towards him the greeting was sent but to a gnome. However, with the young Elf was a blue whelping who perked up at the sight of Stern's whelp companion, Aquamaria. The two whelps flew around one another in excitement before Aqua returned to Stern & perched on his arm. Stern and the elf girl spoke about their apparent mutual love of blue dragons before the conversation slipped into talking about the First Regiment's battle with two blue dragons. The elf girl responded with shock and with a gathering of allies, it soon became apparent she had contacted her Magus Senate companions magically while he & she spoke. She told Stern her name was Kira and agreed to allow him to accompany the group to meet with Lord Montclair. With Aqua in tow, the group arrived at the Command Center in Stormwind, where Archmage Baelheit and Lord Montclair spoke about the events revolving around the Crisis. Ultimately it was learned that the blue dragons who had attacked Alliance settlements appeared to be under the influence of outside force & that the Magus Senate would be allowed to involve themselves with the Regiment's operation. Kira gave Stern a hug as a guise for a whisper, telling him he doesn't have to worry about his companions becoming targets of a crusade. Kira's companion told him that if she considered him a friend that he'd better get used to it when Stern commented 'he wasn't one for hugs'. With a sense of relief, Stern made his way out of the Command Center and towards a butcher shop. He wanted to get something delicious to celebrate this personal victory, deciding on some Westfall ribeyes, which happened to be Aqua's favorite meal. The festive atmosphere of the Square that evening, the delicious meal, and the meeting had all come together perfectly in an unexpected but very, very welcome way. March on the Highlands: Dominion Refugee Aid Since the death of the Archbishop, Stern had kept eyes & ears on the fallout. The political movements and the military actions. Although a non-participant, he was keenly aware that the severing of connections to the southern Kingdoms would, regardless of Alterac's stance & affiliation, have dire effects. Despite personal misgivings, he ultimately followed the orders of Lord Weisserose and remained out of the conflict when it spread to the Arathi Highlands. When Alterac pledged itself to help the refugees of the Highlands, he felt overjoyed to help his fellow humans & Alliance comrades. When he learned Weisserose had pledged to support the order of First Light & assist Horde refugees as well as Alliance, he wondered if his Lord was actively trying to continue keeping Alterac as a pariah. He arrived late in assisting in the caravan's defense and witnessed dwarves bombarding the farm & farmhouse that the caravan had intended to make a camp in. An Orcish raider attack followed as the caravan was forced to retreat before ultimately making it past the Thoradin Wall & into Alteraci lands. He kept his protests of letting Horde civilians into Alterac's Uplands mostly silent, but his views were not unknown to Lord Weisserose. The Brotherhood Rises The Brotherhood of Alterac, the Dominion's newly established Paladin order, had been a concept pushed forward by Stern in the aftermath of the Attack of Durnholde, when Paladins among the assaulting force banded together & worked in classic Silver Hand formation. Alterac's people, tempered by the injustices caused by the Syndicate, had numerous Paladins brought forth who had been trained in other lands & militaries but never had Alterac had its own chapter of Paladins. Recent events had shaped perceptions of the Silver Hand for the worse among some, particularily Stern. Although never officially joining the Silver Hand and never serving as a Squire save for a brief period of training under Sir Gilfred, he had held respect for the Order & its ideals but pushed for making sure that a Paladin order in Alterac could not fall under the Silver Hand's jurisdiction. Butting heads with the two other primary advocates over Paladin order's direction, they all agreed on making it distinct from the Silver Hand in name & function. Each of the men held different weapons & ideas of serving Alterac to the best of their ability. Stern was a spearman, partially inspired by the legends of the Arathi Empire's centurions and partially because he had wanted to personally distance himself from the Silver Hand's imagery. Around each men small factions were formed that based themselves on said men's ideas for the Brotherhood & taking their particular weapon as their symbolic crest (although not necessarily using spears themselves). The Brothers of the Spear were born. Magna Desertum survey With Alterac's pressing need for oceanic access & a suitable way to open new trade routes for the nation's benefit, Stern volunteered his services immediately. Putting his engineering skills to work, he 'hogmogged' a printing press in Strahnbrad and printed up thousands of fliers that requested the purchase of ships & hiring of crews, having a small team distribute them across the cities of the Eastern Kingdoms, Darnassus, and the Goblin port towns. Following the successful completion of this, he made his way to a ship bound for Tanaris. The ship fell under pirate attack, however. Although the ship survived, his companion saber was mortally wounded & was buried at sea. He made a quick search of the city for both personal reasons & practical ones before heading out into the desert. Buying a dragon turtle from a wandering band of Pandaren, he soon headed south, he made a clockwise search of the desert's borders, sketching & writing his findings along the way. His first journey included visits to Land's End Beach, the Ohmas city of Aden, and the fallen troll city of Zul'Farrak. A second and third journey followed in the weeks after, the second with closer scouting of the Silithid hives & the Ogre Nation of Dunemaul, and the third bringing several other surveyers sent by Lord Reynalden Weisserose to help confirm his findings. Trial of Lady Blackdagger/Catannia Von Silas When word of a captured Syndicate noblewoman reached Stern, he felt an immediate desire to enact The Lady's Justice & personally end the life of the traitor, regardless of her story. 'A Syndicate is a Syndicate' was his immediate thought. He had long since stopped attempting any actions of honorable or merciful acts towards the Syndicate & felt no different about this captured woman. However, a trial was set & he put aside his thoughts of executing her where she stood, opting to wait for the courts to determine her guilt & act as her executioner. It seems these intentions were noticed by some & he was misinformed about the trial date. Although he managed to arrive in time to witness the Trial's conclusion, he had lost his chance to engage in the trial's proceedings. Instead, he opted to wait for the verdict, planning to impale her from behind with his spear if she was found guilty & deal with the consequences afterwards. He was stunned when it was found she would 'redeem herself by assisting in the defeat of the Syndicate'. He withdrew his weapon and stood back, a sneer on his face as she walked out into the hallway, almost as stunned as he was. Regardless if she acted on her agreed terms for her live, the fact she was a traitor (even under duress) did not sit well with him. He made a mental note to keep his eye on her in order to secure that she holds to her word. Reorganization of the Brotherhood A small ceremony was held in Alterac Keep the night following the Trial of Von Silas. Intended to help unify the concept & idea of the Brotherhood of Alterac, the ceremony instead became one of knighthood for Stern. The elevation was performed by Lord-Commander Weisserose. He kept his disapproval of it to himself to avoid unnecessary disruption and accepted the position during the ceremony, but made it clear to the assembled Brotherhood members & initiates that this title would be ceremonial exclusively. In the days following the ceremony, it was stressed to Lord Weisserose the importance of moving the Brotherhood away from having a single leader & hierarchy which the Brotherhood submitted to. His efforts were not in vain and with internal support from others in the Dominion, the ruling body of the Brotherhood was reorganized under a triumvirate, with Stern himself leading his Brothers of the Spear. Given access to the Barony of the White Gate by the grace of Lord Anton Caerwyn, the Brotherhood entered a new era of service to Alterac. In the harsh & rugged landscape of the snow-covered barony, a Paladin order would be forged in preparation for the wars that were inevitably to come. Weapons Stern has owned a plethora of weapons in his life, some lasting longer than others, some found in the heat of a battle, some crafted by the Alliance's grandest & most able smiths. As a Paladin, he is bound to not use the weapons of rangers & hunters, but these would be useless in his hands anyway. His aim with bows, guns, and crossbows has always been poor, a fact he's tried to remedy several times. This hasn't seemed to affect his abilities with cannons & grenades, however. Currently, he owns four weapons along with a 'Dragon Gun'. Weapons Currently Held *'Hawkrender, Spear of the Motherland': A spear crafted specifically for Stern's favored fighting style. A medium-heavy weighted, rather large blade on one end, a long shafted adorned in blue leather (the craftsman initially wished to use blue dragon hide but Stern forbade the use of it) & Alterac yeti fur, and a smaller, sharper pointed blade at the end. Dubbed Hawkrender, the spear became Stern's primary weapon following the losses of his favored hammer & Selema'serrar's blade breaking in the Highlands. **The primary materials in its creation were Yeti hide, Yeti hair, and a metal alloy of reclaimed Arathi Iron & Underlight. The Iron from caches seized from the Crushridge Ogres & the Underlight metal acquired from a mine in the Ghostlands thanks to a covert operations team. **The weaponsmith, a Strahnbrad citizen who did not disclose his name to Stern, dubbed the alloy 'Strahnium'. The formula the smith used for the process remains solely with him. *'Sandire, Qiraji War Spear': When Stern commissioned an armor set crafted by a blacksmith working in southern Kalimdor (during his third trip across the Magna Desertum), he had enough material leftover to cover the creation of a weapon. Built primarily of several large chunks of silithid chitin, held together with tar from the Pits of Lakkari & made into a solid piece from the heat of Fire Plume Ridge, the spear is a deep orange, almost amber color, holding an incredibly sharp edge capable of slicing through the thickest of metals. **Initially intended to be a sword, Stern imparted that he would rather it be a spear to the Night Elven blacksmith. Although requiring no extra material he did not already have, the blade is still larger than on most spears because of the initial shaping of the blade had already been finished. *'Weisserose Rapier': A sword found in common use among the servants & soldiers of the House of Weisserose. A faded golden color, a thick, sharp blade, and a royal purple or orange colored wrapping for the hilt. This blade was gifted to him by Lord Reynalden of Weisserose shortly after becoming a Retainer for the House. *'The Dragon': A Dragon Cannon Mk.II built by Raleigh while in Pandaria. Along with the standard firing capability, it has been modified to serve as a longer-ranged mortar for improvised artillery action. It has seen use throughout the War of Alterac Campaign. *'The Satchel': A simple burlap satchel with a braided leather strap. Although not a weapon itself, it is a useful tool filled with a variety of parts, tools, and devices, both of practical & explosive varieties. How it is able to have a seemingly endless capacity to hold rather large items & plentiful amounts of needed supplies is unknown. It's been joked as being 'Stern's purse' since he seems to carry just about everything in it. Lost/Damaged/Former Weapons *'A stone warhammer': A simple, inelegant warhammer with a granite head. Warhammers being the favored weapons of Paladins, Raleigh had taken one for personal use as well for its practical capability. The head is carved from the same material used to craft the Stormwind Cathedral, Alterac Granite (although its crafter was a Dwarf, not one who had been born in or near the Alterac mountains). The particular piece of granite used for the head was pulled from an abandoned quarry not far from his childhood home. It has the names of his immediate family engraved onto the hilt. **This weapon was lost in the reclamation of Alterac City while in battle against the Crushridge King as the king revealed its form as a Twilight-mutated aberration. The hammer was infused with some of the essence of the King & was promptly discarded onto the remains. *'Elven Twinblade/'Selama'Serrar: A Blood Elven blade with twin, intertwining blades bound together through magic enchantment. Inscribed on it is 'Selama', Thalassian for justice. It was taken by him after a brief sword duel with a Blood Elf that was interrupted by a Scourge attack in the Dragonblight. Ral and the Elf fought together & defeated the Scourge wave but the Elf was mortally wounded. He was gifted with it by the Elf. Originally he planned to return the blade to the Blood Elves but following the incident at the Wrathgate & the discovery that the Forsaken (with the Horde's assistance) had been manufacturing a plague of their own, he felt he should keep the blade. It was also this very blade that he used when Vereesa Windrunner & Jaina Proudmoore called to arms to purge the Sunreavers from Dalaran. **This sword was damaged during the Dominion's aid to refugees in the Highlands. Stray shards from mortar fire are believed to have damaged it, although Stern believes that the weapon was magically tampered with by one of the Elven magisters from First Light (as the weapon had survived far worse blows than a stray rock hitting it) & fully plans to have it restored. *'Torch of the Sacrifices': While not inherently a weapon, the Torch holds great personal meaning for Stern. Crafted in light of revelations about the political scheming & bumbling that resulted in the Alliance's loss of the Arathi Highlands, Stern took a piece of mooncloth, soaked it with firebloom oil, and bound it around a simple wooden rod. Lighting it, he stood vigil in front of the Cathedral in the evening hours for three days. For him, the torch was the silent reminder that the lives lost in the Highlands were unnecessary sacrifices for the greed of those who claimed to speak for the Light. **The Torch was donated to the Dominion of Alterac's Lord Commander during his protest of then Bishop Moorwhelp. Companions Stern has never been fond of pets, so he tends to treat his animal companions like people rather than animals. Current *Aquamaria (Blue Whelpling): Found in Winterspring and nursed back to health. With him almost always, but will wander at times. *Zure (Real name unknown, Blue Drake): Met in Dragonblight in the final hours of the Nexus War. Wanders the Eastern Kingdoms. *Big Red (Black & Red Dragon Turtle): Purchased from Pandaren travelers. Currently lives on ''Sprocket's Revile, an all female Gnomish merchant ship that travels between Stormwind & southern Kalimdor. *Higg (Worg): Former Orcish worg mount found following Alessa's Crown campaign. Stabled in Strahnbrad generally. Deceased *Whelest (Frostsaber): Raised in Winterspring, perished on Icecrown Glacier. *Sorrelus (Moonsaber): Purchased in Darnassus, mortally wounded en route to Gadgetzan. *River (Horse): Alteraci horse, perished in the Arathi Highlands. Political Affiliations & Other Notes *Is a strong proponent of the restoration of Alterac, being a Chillwind River Valley native. He believes the people have suffered greatly at the hands of corrupt nobility, especially the vile Syndicate. He has pledged himself to the House of Weisserose, believing the White Rose of Alterac will be able to bloom new life into the fallen nation, both defending & uplifting the people. *Supports the cause of the High Elves. While intitially a supporter of Blood Elven reconciliation, recent events have pushed him into an anti-Blood Elven stance. His tenure as a recruit for the Silver Covenant & these actions have strengthened his support for Vereesa Windrunner & other High Elven organizations working within the Alliance. This has reinforced a belief of anti-human/high elf couplings for the sake of preserving the remainder of the High Elf race. *Was given the moniker 'Coyote of Alterac' by the troops serving him following his first battle where he served as commander. The soldiers commented on him 'slinking around, like a coyote'. It was the same battle (although after its conclusion) that Anton Caerwyn was given the affectionate nickname 'Papa Tony'. *Has a fascination with Night Elven & Highborne artifacts, architecture, & products, owning a small collection of Kaldorei items that he keeps within his workshop in Ironforge. The Highborne faction, The Sovereign Remnants, lending support to the Alterac Coalition cemented his support of their greater inclusion within the Alliance. *His life was once spared by the Undercity Nexus. For what reason they chose to spare his life is unknown to him. *Is believed to be married to a Goblin mechanic while he was employed by the Steamwheedle. He wears a gold band on his ring finger, although his hands are almost always covered by gloves or gauntlets so it's rarely seen. He's rarely spoken of her since leaving the Cartel's employment. **He received a letter from her after more than three years of no returns. She apparently had not received any letters he had previously sent him (once or twice every month) and told him to not send any further letters. He was devastated and took to drinking heavily at the bars in Icewing Point. *Owns a Golem that he has nicknamed 'Uncle Fester'. He owes his training as a shredder operator to his time working with the Steamwheedle Cartel. *Firmly believes the Draenei idea about an 'Army of the Light' is foolish idealism that will only result in continued bloodshed & loss for the Alliance, just as every attempt to align with the Horde has been since the War against the Scourge. As such, he inherently distrusts the Draenei (as well as any other person or group who harbor 'Velenist philosophical leanings', such as the Argent Crusade) and often wonders where their true loyalties lie. *Has a fondness & romanticized ideal of the ocean & sea-faring culture, often wishing when he was younger to simply run away & join a merchant shipping crew to fight pirates. As such, he has great respect for the Alliance Naval forces & will often lend his aid to Alliance merchant ships with his skills when asked. His time with the Steamwheedle simply confirmed his impression of pirates as scum worthy only of the gallows. Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Paladins Category:Engineers Category:Alterac Human Category:House of Weisserose Category:Dominion of Alterac